Battle of the Ainu People versus the Russians at Urup Island in 1771

Abstract

In the 18 c., the Russian Empire went southward in Kuril Islands to collect yasak and subjugate the Ainu people. In the first phase, Ainus had no choice but to obey the forcible yasak collection by a Cossack Chornui and his party. In 1770, a trader Protod'iakonov and his party from Yakutsk landed on Urup Island and began to hunt sea otters directly for themselves. Since Ainus of Etorofu and Rashowa had hunted sea otters around their islands before that, it caused troubles between them, which expanded to the battle in 1771. I will examine this incident by historical materials both in Russia and Japan. The details of this incident are, more or less, differently described by each material. It is certain, however, that the Russians plundered heirlooms from the Ainus and shot 2 Ainus dead: the Etorofu and Rashowa Ainus, on the other hand, cooperated to fight against the atrocities and killed 20 Russians including followers. Based on the fact that Ainus of 2 islands cooperated to fight equally with Russians, I will discuss a historical significance of this incident and the relationship between Kuril Ainus and Russians.